Insect World Record Holders

God’s creation is filled with some incredible creatures, filling every environment from the deepest ocean trenches to the tops of the tallest trees in the Amazon rainforest. And some of these are world record holders. When people think of record-holding animals, they often picture blue whales, elephants, and cheetahs, but what about in the world of the creepy crawlies?

There are definitely some world record holders within the insect world!

There are definitely some world record holders within the insect world!

• World’s longest insect: Phryganistria chinensis Zhao, a two-foot-long stick insect from Southern China. Naturally, the scientist who discovered this new species first mistook it for . . . a stick.
• Rarest insect: What’s a “tree lobster”? Well, it’s the world’s rarest insect, a stick insect from Lord Howe Island, an island in the Tasmanian Sea. Unfortunately for these stick insects, rats were introduced to the island and the rats really liked “tree lobsters.” It was thought these stick insects went extinct in the 1920s, but a small population was discovered in 2001.
• World’s smallest insect: This one is more of a “maybe” as there’s competition for the title, but the world’s smallest insect might be the fairyfly, a tiny Costa Rican wasp that is smaller than a single-celled paramecium.
• World’s loudest insect: Better cover your ears if you’re anywhere near the African cicada (or cicada species here in the US for that matter—they’re loud too!). The African cicada, Brevisana brevis, sings at 106.7 decibels (think lawn mower or power tool) at a distance of just over one and a half feet.
• World’s heaviest insect: The aptly named Goliath beetle takes the title for the world’s heaviest insect, tipping the scales at 2.5–3.5 ounces. But that’s actually not the heaviest because in their larval form, they weigh an extra ounce. So technically “baby” Goliath beetles are the world’s heaviest.
• World’s strongest insect: If you could pull 1141 times your own weight, you’d be able to drag not one, but two, fully loaded 18-wheeler trucks down the freeway. Obviously, no human can do that, but the humble horned dung beetle can do the insect equivalent.

God’s creation is filled with creatures that display his handiwork and creativity.

Whether we’re looking at the smallest, largest, loudest, or strongest, God’s creation is filled with creatures that display his handiwork and creativity. And you can find some pretty amazing creepy crawlies right in your backyard! One of our kids’ favorite activities is hunting for bugs. They flip over rocks and gently lift logs to see what’s hiding underneath. You never know what might crawl out! Give it a try for yourself when you’re outside playing or wherever you are on an exploration in God’s creation.

Here's one of the creepy crawlies our kids found in our carrot patch: a black swallowtail caterpillar (they love to eat the leaves of anything in the carrot family!)

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

And here’s a northern walkingstick they found in our backyard:

Northern Walkingstick

Well, we’re off on another adventure. Until next time, remember that each creature—even the creepy crawly ones—brings glory to the one who made them.

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?” (Job 12:7–9)

P.S. Ask your parents to help you get up close and personal with creepy crawlies from cicadas to stick insects to tarantulas to leaf insects in “Crawlers,” a new episode of Schus Off!, streaming exclusively on Answers TV.